The novelist Kamel Daoud sentenced to five years in prison in Algeria for his novel "Houris"

Franco-Algerian novelist Kamel Daoud was sentenced in absentia to five years in prison in Algeria for allegedly stealing a woman's story for his novel "Houris." His wife, Aïcha Dahdouh, also received a five-year sentence. The couple, residing in France, was fined 300,000 Algerian dinars each. The accuser, Saâda Arbane, claims Daoud used elements of her life in his book, which he denies. This follows a previous three-year sentence for a different complaint related to the same novel. Daoud criticized the legal proceedings as unjust and highlighted ongoing defamation campaigns against him. Dahdouh defended her actions, asserting she never breached medical confidentiality and mentioned a divorce process with Daoud.